Campaign to stop cold callers in Cardiff

A campaign to raise awareness of cold calling and doorstep crime will be launched in Cardiff tomorrow after an increase in reports of suspicious burglary incidents. The campaign, launching at the Millennium Stadium, will target those aged 65 and over, who are the most vulnerable to distraction burglaries and rogue traders. In 2009, 104 incidents of doorstep crime were reported in Wales while there has been a 10% increase in calls to trading standards. Local residents in Sully were shocked earlier this year, when it emerged Anne Cornock, the mother of BBC Wales political correspondent David Cornock, has been duped out of £270,000 from an estate agent in Cardiff. Cornock lost his 76-year-old mother to cancer shortly after the crime and has blogged on the case. He said: "Neither I nor my sister knew our mother had become a victim of crime until we noticed something suspicious about her financial situation. A letter revealed that she was overdrawn at a time when she should have been living comfortably off her pension. "When we asked her about it she was devastated that we had found out. She was totally embarrassed and ashamed. It soon became apparent that her final months were spent juggling the serious realities of cancer with what was unbelievably, her more pressing need, to sort out the financial state that she was tricked into." "My advice to other vulnerable people out there is that if somebody unexpected knocks your door, just be extra cautious and very careful. In fact the safest option is not to even open the door and engage with them, because there really are some evil, nasty people out there preying on vulnerable people." A tv advert will air on 31 May in which an 'ice man' character features to warn residents of cold callers. Thousands of leaflets will also be distributed across Cardiff – aiming to reach the hands of the elderly who are the most vulnerable. The advice comes in three points: *If in doubt, keep them out! *Be prepared, be in control – keeping a list of key contact numbers to hand so you can check legitimate callers. *Call a neighbour or the police – If you think someone is a rogue trader call 101 or if they have taken your money and are still in the area call 999. South Wales Police assistant chief constable Richard Lewis said: "Doorstep crime is an insidious and deceitful act. Those who carry out these crimes have no place within our communities. The police service fully backs this campaign which not only supports the vulnerable and elderly in our communities, but also targets those who commit the crimes. "Victims of doorstep crimes are our parents, grandparents, friends and neighbours. I would urge everyone who knows somebody they think is vulnerable to help us spread the messages and the advice carried by this campaign. It is also vitally important that people provide the police service with information about suspicious incidents, to us to help us remove those who commit these crimes from our streets." See more on the campaigns website here .